Blackness Is a Gift I Can Give Her

"Her" is self, mothers/daughters, scholarship recipients, fandom group chats, locker rooms, community spaces, and professional boardrooms. Hess embodies that Black girl magic - that gift - not just in advocating for community, but in building it (see the Black Girl Hockey Club).

Her essays are further imbued with this power as she uplifts the voices of Black Women at every level of the hockey community. From young Black hockey players connecting with the supportive coaches, to a hockey club executive creating programs for their local communities. A gold medalist finding strength in the joy of young skaters.

But lest you mistake this for some hopecore aesthetic piece, prepare to Get Uncomfortable. Hess' work is unequivocally for Black women. Non Black readers are challenged to decenter themselves to conconspire and advocate for equity and inclusion. And Pay Black Women For Their Labor.

" The question is not “Will Black women gain equity within institutions built on systemic racism?” but rather “What can Black women build to subvert the systems of institutional inequity in order to create something better?” When Black women create, we are able to manifest such joy, such inclusivity, that others who long for that same care become drawn to us and our work. "

Hess has created that community and isn't waiting for Black hockey fans to find her. She is organizing group seats at hockey games with meet and greets before puck drop. She is networking with hockey executives to get the funds for tangible outreach programs specifically for marginalized Black communities. Her Blackness is a gift to the hockey fan & professional experience.

Thank you Netgalley & Penguin Random House Canada | McClelland & Stewart for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.